Trump pick for National Security Advisor draws praise

Posted: 9:31 pm Monday, February 20th, 2017

By Jamie Dupree

A week after one of his closest aides was forced out of the job of National Security Advisor, President Trump filled that post by selecting Army Lt. General H.R. McMaster, as the choice drew praise from both sides of the political aisle.

“I give President Trump great credit for this decision, as well as his national security cabinet choices,” said said Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who has been a frequent critic of the new President.

“I could not imagine a better, more capable national security team than the one we have right now,” McCain added in a statement.

The positive reactions to McMaster were in sharp contrast to some of the worries that had been voiced about Mr. Trump’s first choice for the job, former Defense Intelligence Agency chief Michael Flynn, who resigned a week ago after revelations that he has misled Vice President Pence about contacts with a top Russian official.

“McMaster is an outstanding choice for National Security Advisor. He has vast experience and will be a critical voice in the White House,” said Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN).

LTG H.R. #McMaster is an excellent choice. He is a true strategic thinker, a key attribute for a successful National Security Advisor.

McMaster is not only a General, but also an active student of military history.

“Paying attention to what’s going on today and what’s going on in the past as a way to think about the future,” McMaster told the Foreign Policy Initiative last December.

While Flynn was seen a someone who – like President Trump – offered an olive branch to Russia, McMaster is not in the same camp.

In that same December appearance, McMaster said Russia and China both have similar goals – “collapse the post-World War II political, economic, and security order, to replace that with one that is more sympathetic to their interests,” as he noted their use of a “very sophisticated propaganda disinformation campaign.”

“Russia in particular has been aggressive in the use of its militaries in the invasion of Ukraine the invasion of Syria,” the General added.